Heredity vs. Solidarity (S. Snape)

Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the world of Harry Potter other than my own character. J.K. Rowling owns the rights to all other characters/things in the world of Harry Potter. I am merely borrowing them for my own pleasure. :3

---

“Do you know of this girl?”

A picture was thrust down in front of a man in black robes with stringy black hair, and a very expressionless stare. Looking down over his hooked nose, his onyx eyes stared back at the picture, and his lips turned into a faint frown.

“Vaguely,” the man replied, softly.

“She is in your year,” the Death Eater explained. “If you can bring her to us, we guarantee you instant acceptance into our rankings.”

The man’s black orbs were glittering with a new fire; greed took over his expressionless façade, and he suddenly envisioned himself in the same rewarding mask that the Death Eater before him was wearing, with the same tattoo of a mark upon his arm, and the same new, pristine robes that he so desperately acquired.

“Why do you need her?” Severus Snape asked, now eyeing the man suspiciously. “What is her importance to you?”

“Do you even know of her name?” the Death Eater hissed. “Maybe if you figure that out, you’ll figure out the rest.”

With the swirling of his cloak, and a column of black smoke, the Death Eater had Disapparated, leaving Severus Snape alone and mystified.

The picture was left behind, and flipping it over, he knew exactly why she was needed so desperately.

Name: Selena Anne Burke

Blood: Pure Blood

Family: Lineage Extinct

---

Selena Burke had one mind-set, and one mind-set only: study, study, study. Ever since her parents’ untimely death, she was left alone and confused with a new family, and thankfully, one of her liking. Though Half-Bloods, and not holding the same dark ties to the magical world as her original parents’ had, they were wonderful people who worked hard for their earnings in order to keep up a good home, and keep Selena well educated.

When she was only twelve the incident had taken place; she could remember it unmistakably, with people clothed in black cloaks and masks that only had slits for eyes, scarily reminding her of a snake at the time. She could clearly see them in her mind if she really thought about it, but what scared her most was how quickly and carelessly they had disposed of her parents – like they were nothing.

Like they were worthless, pointless flies on a wall.

And what really stayed with her were the echoes of laughter that filled her ears, with them finding it funny, amusing, a joke, even, to be given such a job. Her parents really had no time to react, though. The Death Eaters were in the house and out in approximately two or three minutes, leaving her bewildered and frightened until Albus Dumbledore found her about ten minutes later, and took her to a caring wizarding family two streets away.

The couple had always wanted kids, but were unfortunately infertile – and there she was.

Ever since then, Selena has worked hard to erase those memories of a time so long ago, because who wants to live with a child’s nightmare for the rest of their life? But, sometimes, she could still see the gleaming faces in the dim light, or hear their traces of laughter in the air, sometimes even hear her parents’ voices seconds before it happened.

Either way, books were her answer. Studying, was her answer. Working hard, was her answer. Because, the second she was focusing on the Goblin Rebellions of the 1600’s into the 1700’s, or the perfect way to concoct an antidote for various poisons, her mind was lost, and everything she had ever witnessed was eventually pushed aside – for the time being.

What she didn’t know were the plans being made for her, and the true reasons as to why her parents were originally killed in the first place. Perhaps, if she had known that, she would’ve known whom to avoid.

But, fate doesn’t work like that, does it?